IT’S good news that Bolton’s residents are to be interviewed about the town’s unique local dialect because it could be in danger of disappearing.

Like many things, it has become generational. Young people don’t automatically follow the language of their parents as they once did. In fact, they tend to have a language all their own, and why not?

Now, however, linguists at Manchester Metropolitan University — which run the Manchester Voices project — are to build up an interactive dialect map and archive by speaking to people in Bolton and the other nine Greater Manchester districts.

I’m sure I’m not the only person who thinks this is a valuable scheme that could help save part of the town’s history. The way we speak is as much to do with the fabric of a town as its buildings and historic milestones.

Language evolves over time and offers a unique richness not available in other areas. Bolton needs to keep its dialect alive, even if it is spoken by fewer people these days.

When I first came to Bolton from Manchester nearly 50 years ago, I struggled to understand some of the statements that people made to me. What threw me initially were phrases like “Have you gorra gate going to church?” (“Have you got into the habit of going to church?”) I really didn’t understand what gates had to do with anything (except in Westhoughton, of course).

“Doesn’t she favver our Jenny?” was another one. Perhaps I really did favour (look like) Jenny but it mystified me initially.

Other words I came to understand – and appreciate – included “powfagged” (tired), “reet gradely” (really good), “gobbin” (an idiot) and “fettle” (sort out).

I learned to take offence when called a “rubbin’ rag” (someone with no influence) and understood “He’s got fer gor” (“he has to go”) and “I’m tekkin’ a sken” (“I am having a look”).

I was sympathetic if someone complained of “bellywarch” (stomach ache caused by wind) and realised what was being posed with questions like “Are theaw’t quack?” (“Are you the doctor?”)

I even stopped hearing the loss of “e” in “the” to make “th’hospital” and “th’horseriding”. Within a surprisingly short time, I was immersed in Bolton-ese. To use another local phrase, I had cottoned on.

Perhaps then, so long ago, there were many more people using the local dialect so I was surrounded by it. Now, with the greater influence of TV, more people coming to live in Bolton and more individuals going to work outside the area, this glorious dialect has become slightly diluted.

You still hear older Boltonians conversing in this easy and familiar way but you hear fewer and fewer under-25s even using odd words and phrases that they used to hear at home.

The upshot of the latest study project will be a permanent installation at Manchester Central Library and public archive at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Manchester Poetry Library, due to open next year. I am absolutely certain it will prove to be reet gradely!